Andy Nguyen

Andy Nguyen was born in Vietnam and raised in San Jose. Nguyen received his BFA in Photography from San Jose State University in 2019. He spends time exploring areas around the Bay Area for inspiration for his photography, creating photos that reflect the landscapes, nature, and lifestyle of various ethnic populations in the Bay area, throughout America, and around the world. His photographic process and work expresses the relationships that he has with local communities and their stories that inspire his work.

His passion photography spans over 15 years, and his dedication is captured through his documentation of personal narrative, community events, as well as cultural celebrations. He graces his environments with a contagious, enthusiasm and optimism. Nguyen has made numerous contributions to his community and has received multiple awards for his dedication for and involvement in Santa Clara County. He has been lauded for his documentation of underrepresented ethnic communities.

Recognizing the impact that art can have on humanity, Nguyen has exhibited in support of numerous humanitarian organizations, including the Friends of Hue Foundation Children Shelter in Vietnam, BeCause for Hope, International Children Assistance Network (ICAN), the Franciscan Charity, and the Help Kenyan Children Survive & Thrive, Inc. Nguyen’s chief goal is to continue to make a positive difference by connecting with people during community festivals and celebrations, school events, political events, and assorted community services projects, and chronical these meaningful events through his photography. By telling stories through his lens, he hopes to help generate resources to continue assisting vulnerable children, community members with special needs, locally and internationally.

My photography and exhibitions include digital and traditional photographs. They reflect the beauty of Vietnam and the fusion of my motherland. I make it a priority to communicate and engage with people from various communities throughout the Bay Area. I take great pride in the knowledge I have gained regarding the arts and communication as a creative photographer. Furthermore, alternative photography, particularly cyanotype, has ignited a long-standing passion in my project. My contagious enthusiasm and optimism are evident in my practice as an emerging artist and in numerous activities across various venues in Santa Clara County. I have made many contributions to support and nurture the community culture and have received several awards for this involvement in Santa Clara County. My artistic mission has always been sharing my passion and love for photography with diverse communities. This project is a documentary portrait series of immigrant families living in the Bay Area. It is a collective story of their youth in Vietnam and America. I aimed to create images that reflect and communicate their humanity. I used cyanotype, a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. The cyanotype process was one of the first non-silver technologies to create photographic images.

Adult/ Professional or Hobbyist Artist